In Need of You

Chapter Forty-Two

Orange wasn't his color, Jonah thought. But it wasn't going to be too much longer that he sat inside a dank grayish-colored cell that wreaked of ammonia, dust, and liquor-infused excrement. No. He wasn't going to spend a moment longer inside this place. His son's efforts in trying to put him away weren't going to do anything but give him a paper cut.

He smirked, listening to the other men yell and fuss around him as if they were wolves fighting over the last piece of flesh to consume. His place wasn't inside a prison; his place was to have a lavish home, sit beside a beautiful woman that wasn't wrinkly and ruined by sunspots and gray hair like his horrible wife, and live like a king. Yes. That's where he was meant to be. And he was going to take that first step by making that pregnant wench gravel at his feet and suck his toes.

He couldn't forget about the only child who was never tainted, until now. He didn't want to hurt Amber like the way he wanted to see Elisha broken, but he wanted to see her writhe in pain. He wanted to see her wallow in her own tears. That's what she deserved for betraying him.

"Jonah Brysen," an officer said, standing by his cell door. Another officer stood beside him. His hand never left his holstered gun. "You've got visitors."

Jonah smirked. This was the first step in his victory lap. "I wonder who it might be."

The officer glared at him as he unlocked the cell door. The other officer held his hand out, beckoning him to follow the other's lead. 

"So," Jonah said. His smirk grew wider. "When did you all begin allowing multiple visitors to come to the prison?"

"That's been happening for quite some time now," one of the officers replied. "But in this case, there are more than two people."

Jonah laughed. "Wow. And my son thought he could out-think me."

As they led him past the visitor's station, Jonah frowned. He noticed a man in a black suit stand next to an opened door. "What's this?"

"Just go inside, Mr. Brysen," the other officer said. He stood by the door. "They're all waiting for you."

Jonah stepped inside the room. His son's wench sat next to her brother. Captain Alders and Zander sat next to one another. The frowns on their faces and their crossed arms kept their demeanor stoic, to say the least. It didn't bother him a bit. Honestly, this was the funniest thing that he'd ever seen. 

If they thought a room full of black people sitting in suits was going to make him shiver, then they were mistaken. This was hilarious. 

Taking a seat in front of them, Jonah smiled. He turned his attention to Sabrina and winked his eye at her. "I see that you're here to see me."

"I'm not here to see you, Jonah," she replied. She glared at him with furrowed eyebrows. "I'm here to see her."

Jonah frowned. Hearing the door open behind him, a woman's silhouette filled the barely lit portion of the room. She stepped closer toward them and took a seat next to Zander. He smiled. "Jasmine Hadar."

"Jonah."

"My God," he leaned closer to her and Sabrina. "You're still so beautiful and still very much black."

They glared at him with squinted eyes. What one woman didn't have, the other one had it in abundance, Jonah thought. Why was it that black women were so exotic yet so distasteful, so disgusting. Sure, they were great in the bed, but they weren't the epitome of classic beauty. 

"These women are here to talk to you before your trial date, which has been changed to next week from what I understand." Captain Alders stood from the table.